NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Hawaiian Air Cargo is adding two more inter-island freighter destinations later this month and says its long-haul cargo capacity will grow next year when it begins adding Boeing 787s to its fleet.
In late 2018, Hawaiian Airlines began ATR 72 freighter flights from Honolulu to Līhu‘e Airport on Kauai and to Hilo International Airport. The roundtrip flights operate five nights a week, flown by Empire Airlines using Hawaiian-owned aircraft.
Later this month, Hawaiian plans to begin ATR 72F flights from Honolulu to both Kona International Airport and to Kahului Airport, which is on Maui, according to Brad Matheny, managing director-cargo. The new service will complete the carrier’s inter-island network, he said during the Air Cargo 2020 conference here last week.
The ATR 72Fs can carry up to 18,000 pounds of cargo on PBJ pallets or in LD3 or ABC containers.
In early 2021, Hawaiian will begin taking delivery of new 787-9s. The carrier will take 10 of the passenger widebodies between 2021 and 2025. Matheny said the 787s will offer improved cargo capacity over the carrier’s Airbus A330-200s. He said the 787s add up to three positions of additional capacity.
The 787s initially will be used on routes to the West Coast but eventually will be flown to destinations in Asia.